Work trying to bully me into cancelling holiday

[worridmum]

Sorry if this is the wrong place but this section has the most traffic and hoping for someone to help me.

Long story short is a booked my annaul leave in january in line with company policy and it was approved. After the approval I booked an expesive holiday to the USA for 3 weeks to see my parents as my father is in poor health and would like to see him before he deterates futher (long term problem with no possiblity of a cure sadly).

Now the crux of the problem last week my work colleuge is now wanting to start her metinity leave 2 months early than planned and now because our department is small one of us must be in the building for the department to run (I dont want to give too much details here as its very specislt field of work and dont want to out myself) and the meritity cover cannot start 2 months early than planned so my boss is putting large amounts of pressure to cancel my holiday and treating gross misconduct when I refused to cancel it as my manager blunty said when I asked is the company going to compestate for my finacel loss (non-refundable flights / hotel deposits etc) and she basically said tough luck the company WILL NOT pay for the loss of this money (roughly £3000) and I should just absorb this loss and consider it one of those things, which I replied no I am not willing to lose not only my last possible chance of seeing my Father before he passes away but also that amount of money which is a large amount for me.

Which is the reason she is quoting gross misconduct as I am refusing to cancel my holiday with only 2 weeks notice and that I am expected to eat the fiancal loss as well as prescous time with my father and my question is twofold

I am unreasonable to refuse to NOT cancel my holiday no matter that it will causes massive problems for the company and the second are they legally allowed to breech their own policies relating to booked holidays to be able to say my holiday will be treated as unauthrised absance and thus a gross misconduct offence even though I have all the documents saying it was authorised etc and finally if they are allowed to cancel my holiday at such short notice can force them to pay for my lost money so I am not out of pocket (travel insurnce will not pay out as it is not covered by their terms)

I am sorry for the long post and if it is in the wrong area and for any spelling or grammer mistakes as I have dylexia and no spell checker on this device.

Hope this is sorted

Hope you've had some positive progress OP

How's it going OP?

Your colleague is required to give 28 days notice to change the start date of her mat leave. If she requested the change last week that would mean she doesn't have to be allowed to go until the beginning of July, which would cover most/all of your holiday OP.

I really hope you have managed to sort this out as well.
Hope they come round!

Sorry everyone for the delay in updating but I have been stupidly busy trying to sort everything out.

Now the actully update the shit has trully hit the fan so to speak

with first me reciving emails on monday from my boss begging me just to cancel my holiday and stop asking for not being left out of pocket. I politley replyed that I will NOT be cancelling my holiday and quoted the regulatialtions that people adivced me on (thank you everyone). After which she said she would forward / inquire with her boss on what to do with the situtation.

I also got a string of email from my collegue to asking me to stop being awkard and just to cancel my holiday etc (I am not quoting her exact words as it was basically an essay on reasons I should basically stop causing her stress) And when I asked why should I be left £3000 out of pocket for the the pleasure of cancelling my holiday she called me selfish and that apprently there are more important things than money and I should be the better person and cancel my holiday. I decided not to reply to the last email as it was just going around in circles (I backed up a copy of these emails aswell just incase (thanks again for this suggestion)

about 20 mintutes before I clocked off for home I got a email requesting I attend a meeting on tuesday afternoon (today) to try and sort this problem out and that both my boss and colleuge would be attending.

After I left work I thought it was a good idea to Ring the lawyer that was recomended and they have basically said that the company had no leg to stand on and that they would happily repersent me if I have to take things futher I mentioned the meeting and they strongly suggested I make a record of the meeting just incase.

Tuesday morning nothing eventful other than one last email from my boss asking if I would reconsider my postion before the arranged meeting I declined.

The meeting I was abushed by the 2 senior members of the company and the new owner as well as my collegue / boss and basically to sum up the meeting was that they WHERE going to procced with a GROSS misconduct as apprently I was blackmailing the company by asking to be not made out of pocket after they asked what the problem was etc and they have not suspended me without pay until they have investigated the whole incederdent and than demanded I go home by email abut an hour after the meeting (I backed this up as well).

After I left the office they were also adding that I left the premiese without premisson to the aguesation. When I repled that I was asked to leave they said they had no record of the email that was sent (surpirse surpire the last 4 days emails had been wiped by a techincally fault apprently) Thank you everyone that told me to back these corrsponace up the complete bastards

I have now put in a formal grivence and am about to engauge the suggested solictors and now that I have been suspended I dont know what to do all this stress is really upseting me I have never been in trouble before with anything and am really upset that I have been treated like this.

I am sorry that this is very long and sounding very unreal I wouldnt belive it myself if it wasnt happening to me as we speak.

Thank you everyone for support and advice I dont know what else to do now and this whole thing has completely ruined the lead up to my holiday

Wow they really have completely ballsed up. What a bunch of pricks. Good on you for getting a copy of all the emails! Pretty foolish of them to leave a paper trail.

It sounds like they must have gone to your colleague when you refused to cancel your holiday and tried to get her to put pressure on you. Makes her pretty pathetic to go along with it. Regardless of the outcome of all of this, I think my working relationship with the company would be unsalvagable and I'd be looking for a new job. I could not work for these people.

Genuinely, go and see your GP. I know everyone has shot down the idea of getting stress leave to take your holiday because it was wrong, but the situation has now changed. If what is going on is now causing you stress, then get it documented. Everything official about the impact of their actions on you that you can have when this goes to court will be of benefit to you.

Engage the law firm and go on your holiday. Make the absolute most of the time with your family. The lawyers can get started while you are away and can always send you an email while you're away.

Good luck OP, and please try not to think about this too much while you spend time with your dad. That, ultimately, is the most important thing.

OP, you will not be working there for much longer anyway will you cos they are bastards. So you may as well go and see your Dad and try not to worry.

I do understand how upsetting all this is but try to see the bigger picture.

You are going on holiday. You have important things to do with your family. Whatever happens with employers you are best off out of it and they will end up paying.

You are in the right! They are being outrageous. Let the solicitor take over. Good luck!

I have been following this thread agog at their demands.

How on earth are their bullish ways ever going to make you want to do them any favours!! What horrofic bosses!

Good on you for standing firm, you have done nothing wrong.

I am under the impression that if you are being investigated it has to be done without prejudice and on full pay until the outcome is decided.

Worridmum, I'm really sorry that you are going through this. I don't have any useful advice, but want to wish you well.

WHAT A BUNCH OF UNCONSCIONABLE CUNTS!

I'm so angry for you.

Well done on backing up your emails.

It's companies like this that the employment protection laws were deigned for; frankly it's hard to believe hey ould be so stupid, given the money it's going to cost them

For pity's sake, agree NOTHING without legal advice - they've lied and lied and lied again, and when they start to realise the position they've left themselves in, they'll lie again to try to get out of it

Enjoy your break as best you can and look forward to being a lot richer before too long

Blimey OP no advice but what a bunch of bastards they are!

And it is not you causing your colleague stress. It's them.

This is the sort of shit you expect from an abusive partner with gaslighting etc. How have they found so many people to go along with blatantly breaking the law?

Wow they're idiots. Please stand up to them, you deserve to be seen right.

Engage the lawyer.

thank you everyone I have now offically started job hunting as I DONT want to work for them anymore and I doubt I will have a choice in the matter now since my guess is the suspenstion will lead to dismal

What do I do about a reference because I was their for 5 years I cant actully ask them to provide one and my prevous ones are 5 years + old am trully screwed for jobs now arent I?

An ThinkIveBeenHacked its been clear its suspension without pay with immidete effect sadly though I think they are trying to fire me under the leaving without premisson with the susipous deletion of emals

You might want to get this thread deleted, it is quite identifying and perhaps could breach your work's social media policy. I appreciate that this thread might be good support, you could continue to PM people with expertise.

My poor girl, by the time this is over you might well be looking at enough in compensation to be able to take the next two years off! They are completely and utterly in the wrong and an employment lawyer is going to make mincemeat of them.

This is ridiculous! This can't happen in an UK company, are they stupid?
Excellent work on your behalf, including backing up emails. They know they are in trouble if they have been deleting emails for 4 days on the system!
To reiterate what others have said, don't worry about it, enjoy your holiday and focus on your Dad. Your bosses are worthless.

They cannot suspend you without pay - they must pay you.

Have you checked your household insurance to see if you are covered for employment issues?

I am so glad you have copies of those emails. Make extra copies now. Just in case...

Good luck with your job hunt.

Fire you for leaving without permission? When you have the email actually instructing you to go?

They really have lost their minds, haven't they?? The lawyers are going to absolutely love this

They have to pay you whilst you are suspended.
I am really shocked at their behaviour.

Stay strong op. You are doing the right thing.